A huge family was in the newspaper once, where they found they either had the gene for a certain type of stomach cancer, or they found they were predisposed to get the cancer. Several members of the ...

I am just wondering, what would happen if you didn't treat cancer at all? You did nothing, just ignored it....

Jamie

My dad used to have lung cancer , can we sue a cigarette company?

Yeah, my dad has had many many health problems , including 2 MAJOR bypasses on both his legs , and if you know what that is , the scaring is horrible the doctors have to cut from your ancle to your knee basicly, that definatly was caused by smoking um, he had lung cancer and had to go through 9 monthes of hell with radiation therepy all your hair falls out and yeah think u pretty much know the story, but they got rid of the cancer thank the Lord , but all this due to the number one killer in the world the stupid cigarette, and guess what.. yeah u guessed it he still smokes , he has tried to quit so many times but like hundreds of thousands of others its pretty much a dream its so hard when every body around u smokes its almost imposible to quit , so my question is can we sue a certain cigarette company for all these problems in my fathers life, even though the cancer is gone he still has other ailments , so could we get ... say 1-5 million for a case? maybe more? I would change the world if we got that much money , but in all seriousness Do you think this is a LEGIT case?

I hate to break this to you, Jamie, but smoking is not the number one killer in the world.

Believe it or not, dehydration is the number one killer, and it was this that was the basis for your dad's health problems.

The body is made up of 75% water, combined with salt to make a solution similar to that of the ocean. As a matter of fact, it's said that we have two oceans within our body. One on the inside of the cells, and one on the outside of the cells. When the inside of the cells need water, pressure from the outside injects water to the inside.

In order for this process to work correctly, a critical balance between salt and water must be kept, and the body must maintain its 75% capacity.

Unfortunately, people don't like the taste of water. They drink soft drinks, tea, coffee, alcohol and sports drinks. Although these contain a certain amount of water, it does absolutely no good - the body can't use it. When the body doesn't get the water it needs form drinking, it pulls water from other sources like food and blood (blood is made up of 90% water, and when too much water is taken from here, it causes hypertension).

Eventually, if the water isn't replenished properly, dehydration sets in, vitamins and minerals become depleted and cell damage begins. This leads to tissue damage and the so-called "incurable" diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, asthma, etc.

There have been many reported cases where proper treating for dehydration has reversed the effects of cancer, and in some cases, eliminated it altogether. Actually, what I'm trying to say is, had you known about this, your dad might not have needed any bypass surgery or radiation therapy. This isn't to say, however, that it's too late to do anything more for him - on the contrary, there's always a possibility.

If you'd like to read more on it, you can go to www.watercure.com. Don't try anything you've read here until you check out the website.

Please note: This information is not intended to diagnose any medical conditions, and I don't advise stopping any medication that he may be taking. You are welcome to discuss this with your doctor.

On a personal note, it is my belief that the reason why many respiratory treatments have little or no effects is because the patient refuses to stop smoking. I'm sorry to say that your father is only using the "addicted" excuse as a crutch. I smoked for over 30 years. The day I was diagnosed with emphysema was the day I quit. If someone like me with no will power can do it, then he can.

David D

Well maybe if you spoke a different langauge and not english you could say they never provided the warning to you in your language. Your dad couldnt read it and knew nothing of the affects it had on his health. Also, someone sued Mc Donalds for making them fat so I don't see why you couldnt win your case.

angelic markings

Everyone is now well aware of the risks of smoking.

The packs contain warnings and graphic images - and one group even called their brand "Death" and sales increased!

This is proof that it is an attitude problem with the smokers that is the issue here.

If you smoke - you know the risks, and are waiving all rights to sue.

Your father has been through cancer and 2 major bypasses in both legs - he knows it is due to his smoking, yet is foolish enough to continue to smoke the cancer sticks.

You say how difficult it is to give up. Sure. But how difficult is it to die of cancer? If he does not give up the cancer WILL return - and it will kill him. The point is how much he wants to live.

This may seem harsh for me to write this, and you may think I am being mean - but I'm just being honest.

You say your father lost all his hair - this was due to the chemotherapy he was having, not the radiotherapy. Having chemotherapy is a sign that the cancer is not necessarily just in the lung - but may have moved elsewhere in the body. Alternatively, it is an agressive cancer that they were hitting with everything they have. If the cancer comes back, chances are he will not have any more treatment options open to him. You can not radiate areas already treated, and there is a limit to the amount of chemo you can have, especially if you have problems with circulation.

I work in Cancer care. I have spent years treating people with lung, mouth and throat cancers caused from smoking, who all say "but it is so hard to give up!" I even treated a 30 year old man with tongue cancer who had to have his whole tongue removed. He could no longer talk, and was told he only had 3 months to live. He had a 3 year old son and his wife was pregnant with twin girls - who he never saw.

There are two mental images that will haunt me forever - and have helped many of my friends permanently give up smoking.

1) a man diagnosed with mouth and throat cancer was undergoing radiotherapy. There was a 5 week waiting list to get this treatment but due to his high risk he was rushed in in front of other patients. He couldn't breathe properly, so had to have a "trachy" put in (a surgical hole in the throat to breathe through). One day after treating him, I was heading off to lunch break and saw him outside smoking through the trachy!!! I saw other patients walking past who started dry reaching at the sight. I couldn't help myself. I went up and blasted him about it - telling him he has jumped ahead of other patients to receive life saving treatment, yet by insisting to continue smoking, he may as well not be having the treatment. He was so shocked, he hadn't even stopped to think what he was doing. For the first time he saw other peoples reaction to his smoking through the trachy. He gave up instantly, throwing out the cigarettes and not touching them again. I saw him a year later, he was still alive, and not smoking - but the trachy was permanent, as the damage done by the smoking was irriversable.

2) Working in another hospital, there was a patient with lung cancer and circulation problems due to smoking. He complained how difficult it was giving up smoking. He was just about to have his first treatment of radiotherapy, and to "calm his nerves" he insisted on going outside to have his "last cigarette". He took one puff on the cigarette, and had a "blow-out" which means his carotid artery (main artery in the neck) ruptured. He bled out in seconds - there was nothing anyone could do. As it turns out, it was his last cigarette.

How addicted is your father to those cancer sticks? He needs to evaluate what is important to him - how much does he value life? Most people give up cigarettes because of a scare. They need something to cause the wakeup moment in their life - a heart attack, a cancer diagnosis, heart problems, a birth of a baby... what ever the reason, he must give up the cigarettes or it will kill him.

He has already had more than a warning, if he continues to smoke, the consequences are due to his choice.

He is fully aware of the risks, just as you are fully aware that if you walk out on the road in front of a truck, you will get hit by that truck, and likely die. If this happens, do you have the right to sue the truck company? Do you have the right to sue people who built the road? Where does personal responsibility come into this. You know the risks, you still do it, the consequences are yours and yours alone.

No one put the cigarettes in his mouth and forced him to smoke.

It is his choice to smoke and the consequences of that action is not the responsibility of anyone else - yourself included.

It is hard to watch others self-destruct like this. It is heartbreaking - but if nothing else comes of it at least you can change your choices and future - do not smoke yourself, and do not choose this fate for yourself.

Filipp

Only if your dad started smoking BEFORE the warning labels were used could you sue them. But I doubt that your dad is that old, sorry.

You could try phoning a talk show (like Oprah but preferably a smaller one), your dad can be used in an anti smoking campaign and you could possibly get some money that way.

iceman

Perhaps 40-50 years ago, but today people are fully aware of the risks of smoking.

Girl.

It would have worked about 20 years ago, but they've been clearly advertising the dangers of cigarettes since the 70's. Plus you wanting the money so "you can change the world" instead of using it for your fathers medical fees and whatnot doesn't seem right, does it, now?

ChemoAngel

No it is NOT a Legit Case. That is like a Fat Person, suing Burger King for being a Restaurant. You can not sue anyone who simply causes it to be a Habit. Smoking is done by Choice, Not by Force.
He can CHOOSE to ignore the articles, Ignore the TV Commercials, etc. They did not say "Hey Sir..Psst! Come Here! I got a deal for you."
He can get help in quitting. My father quit smoking Cold Turkey. There are MANY Ways to quit, he just doesn't want to. That should tell you something. It is NOT The Ciggarette company's Fault.

Marc

without sounding rude, there is no reason at all why your father cannot stop, its an addiction and yes of course he will have withdrawal syptoms and find it hard, extremely hard., i gave up using patches, took me 2 weeks, after smoking 15-20 a day.
never wanted once since. sueing the cigarette company for your fathers own doing isnt right in my eyes.
did they stick the first cigarette in his mouth and light it?
if everyone around him smokes, whoch i presume is his family, how about them stepping back, looking at what he has been through and quitting all together??? so he has some moral support.

Answerwizz

I don't think you could win a case against a cigarette company. Cigarette companies get sued all the time and are USED to it, they hire the best lawyers in the country, and you could not win a case against them EVEN if you have a legit case. The case is legit in the sense that they have sold you a product harmful for the health. However, it is obvious, and your dad knew this when he started it, that cigarettes were bad for the health. On top of that, cigarettes packs always have warnings about the health consequences that may occur when smoking.
The answer to your question: is it legit case: YES
What you really want to know: Can you win 1 to 5 million for the case: NO, worse case scenario, you'll spend around 100k on a lawyer and you WILL lose your money. Sorry :(

Cathy C

Hi, I am really sorry that your dad has been through so much pain and suffering and I hope he manages to quit soon (you can get medical help with that).

Unfortunately you would have no grounds to sue them on, as it has been common knowledge for quite a long time now that smoking causes cancer. There are health warnings on cigarettes, which your father chose to ignore.
I'm really sorry.

Happy Penguin

To be fair, they do come with warnings on the packs - and no, it's not impossible to quit....

Laurence

Nope. Cigarette companies specically say that smoknig can cause cancer and kill on the box so you can't sue them.

AKA Inverse Mushroom Cloud

It's not impossible to quit. Millions of people have done it.

If you want to live, you do it. If you don't quit, that's a choice you make.

Smokers who sue, to me, are just scavengers. They have known for many decades how destructive cigarettes are. No one forces them into anyone's hands/mouth.